Equalities Board

Equalities Board is the forum by which the Council can oversee its processes to eliminate discrimination on the protected characteristics.   The following characterises are protected under the Equalities Act 2010:

·         age;

·         disability;

·         gender reassignment;

·         marriage and civil partnership;

·         pregnancy and maternity; ·

·         race;

·         religion or belief;

·         sex; ·

·         sexual orientation   Terms of Reference 1.    To monitor the Council’s performance against current equality legislation. 2.    To act as a consultative and advisory body with regard to the development of new policies/initiatives and to actively support such initiatives. 3.    To raise awareness of the specific needs of service users in terms of service delivery. 4.    To provide a sounding board for any initiative or proposal that the Council is making and how they may affect the protected characteristics either directly or indirectly. 5.    To provide a better understanding of equalities in order to gain knowledge, and to promote awareness and encourage mutual respect. 6.    To encourage the Council to realise the benefits of a diverse workforce that reflects the make-up of the local population. 7.    To encourage the Council support to staff in a manner that encourages them and makes them feel secure in their working environment. 8.    To analyse data and information gained from monitoring, impact assessments and general consultation activity to inform priorities and future practice. 9.    To consider workforce equalities and diversity matters referred to it by the Director of Law and Governance, Human Resources, Audit & Risk Management.